February is Heart Health Month

In the coming weeks, The CREATION Health Center will be providing a number of initiatives to help you improve your health – even your heart health…but you can begin today.  Take a look at how CREATION Health complements your  Heart Health for the month of February -  8 principles, and all of them relate to a healthy heart!

Good health doesn’t just happen.  It is the result of mindfulness and healthy choices that are made each day.  This month, as you consider your “Heart Health”, commit to a CREATION Health SMART Plan to improve your health and vitality. In just a few weeks of making simple changes, like daily exercise, you will notice and feel the difference  – you will have more energy throughout the day, a brighter outlook, your clothes will fit better, you will sleep better. ..maybe even make more friendships. But you decide what you will do to experience a full life! It’s all about you and your life!

Choice:  Take the time for an overview of your health, and make SMART Choices

Rest:  Are you able to rest/sleep at least 7 hours each night? Short sleepers, typically those people who get less than six hours of sleep a night, as well as people who don't spend enough time in the deepest stages of sleep, are at higher risk of heart attacks and strokes than those who get at least seven hours. A 2011 study in male Japanese factory workers found those who slept less than six hours a night had a five-fold increased heart attack risk over a 14-year span compared with those who logged between 7 and 8 hours a night. Virend K. Somers, MD, professor of medicine and cardiovascular diseases, Mayo Clinic.

Environment: Does the environment you live in create a sense of peace or anxiety? According to the EPA, those who spend more time indoors are more susceptible to indoor air pollutants. Opening windows and doors for fresh air, reducing exposure to second-hand smoke, and being mindful of breathing in pollutants can affect your heart health.

Activity: Are you active for at least 30 minutes most days of the week? A sedentary (inactive) lifestyle is one of the top risk factors for heart disease. Exercise has a number of effects that benefit the heart and circulation. These benefits include improving cholesterol and fat levels, reducing inflammation in the arteries, helping weight loss programs, and helping to keep blood vessels flexible and open. New York Times Health Guide, January, 2013

Trust: Are you able to trust someone? Do you have trusting relationships?  Learning the process of forgiveness, leads the way for trust and reduced stress. Researchers found that mentally nursing a grudge puts your body through the same strains as a major stressful event: muscles tense, blood pressure rises, and sweating increases. Forgiveness and fostering a spirit of trust is better for heart health and to reduce stress. One study found a link between forgiving someone for a betrayal  and improvements in blood pressure and heart rate, and a decreased workload for the heart.   Harvard Health News

Interpersonal Relationships: Are you socially at ease with others? Research indicates that a lack of effective social support and interpersonal relationships has been linked with conditions as heart disease (Glynn,  et al, 1999) For your heart’s sake, reach out. Friendships are good for your heart. BC Council for Families

Outlook: When life happens, do you have a Plan B for re-framing so that you can carry on successfully? Research reported from the Harvard School of Public Health that optimism in specific seems  to play a key role in heart health. A number of studies found the most optimistic people had half the risk of a first heart attack when compared to the least optimistic. People with a better sense of well-being tend to have healthier blood pressure, cholesterol and weight, and are more likely to exercise, eat healthier, get enough sleep and avoid smoking. USA Today News, April 2012

Nutrition: Is your nutritional health intentional, or is it “catch as catch can?”  Nuts are highly protective against heart disease.  In the Harvard Nut Study, with 86,016 female subjects, those who ate 5 ounces of nuts per week were compared to those who seldom ate nuts. Results were  those who ate nuts 5 or more times per week had statistically fewer fatal heart attacks, and had 35% reduction in coronary artery disease and MIs compared with those who seldom ate nuts.  Harvard Nutrition Source.

Just Select “1” area  you would like to work on, and begin to develop  CREATION Health SMART  Goals. Your heart will be blessed!

For example: “I want to have a healthy heart and avoid the predictable chronic illnesses. To do that, I want to be more active”

S =  Make it SPECIFIC, be specific in what you want to accomplish and the action you want to take to achieve it.  Example:  I will begin with 15 minutes of moderate activity (walking) 3-5 days a week for 2 weeks, then increase it to 20-30 minutes 3-5 days a week.

M  =  Make it MEASUREABLE. If you can’t measure it, it can’t be managed. Example:  I will record daily and track the minutes and days of the week I exercise on my log sheet.

A =  Is the goal ATTAINABLE. Can you achieve it realistically? Example:  I will ask my best friend to walk with me, or family member so that I will be accountable.

R = What is the REWARD you will give yourself when you achieve the goal. Example:  If I meet my goal for 6 weeks, I will treat myself to a new pair of walking shoes.

T = What is the TIMELINE you will work from in order to achieve your goal. Example:  After 10 weeks, I’ll re-evaluate my goals and adjust my aerobic miles toward my long term goal of 15 miles per week.